


One Of Us

by memeberd



Category: Milo Murphy's Law
Genre: A little angst, Dakavendish - Freeform, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gary the Parrot, Implied Character Death, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Sorta its a little angsty, The Island of Lost Dakotas, Unnamed Jack McBreyer Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-05
Updated: 2018-01-05
Packaged: 2019-02-28 20:47:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13279590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/memeberd/pseuds/memeberd
Summary: Dakota is most likely unkillable,but,in some crazy circumstance where he dies during a mission, Cavendish goes back in time and saves him. So, what is Cavendish going to do once he realises he hasn't stopped existing after successfully saving his partner?





	One Of Us

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanna say real quick, even though we don't talk much, darkwingsnark deserves some credit for this because if they hadn't explained why Dakota doesn't stop existing after preventing Cavendish's many deaths, this story might have been a little different or I never would have written this at all. Cuz I'm dumb and take a while to figure shit out. It just be like that sometimes. So bro if you're reading this thanks alot and anyone else who's reading this just thank darkwingsnark for making sense of it and read their awesome fics if you haven't!!!

In hindsight, Cavendish hadn't put too much planning in his rescue Dakota operation. After seeing all of those older versions of himself and Dakota stop existing after successfully preventing themselves from breaking up, he figured he would stop existing as well once he stopped Dakota’s death from happening. So, he figured, he wouldn’t have had to plan too much. He thought he would football tackle Dakota and wink out of existence like that. But that was not what happened. He football tackled Dakota to safety as planned, of course, but… 

“I don’t understand! I should be gone now!” Exclaimed Cavendish, who was the Cavendish from the future. He was a Future Cavendish.

Dakota was dead silent, and he stared up at Future Cavendish with a dry mouth. He swallowed hard and gathered himself. “No, that’s not how it works, Cavendish.”

“What are you talking about?!” Said Future Cavendish. “Don’t you remember when ourselves from the future stopped us from breaking up over an eggroll? Why would it be any different _now?”_

“Because, it must’ve only been a few minutes for you before ya came back to save me. That’s not enough time for the timeline to need to reset itself.”

Future Cavendish lifted a palm from the ground to cover his face in embarrassment. “I did this so unprofessionally,”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, what was this, yer first time?” Dakota asked, running a hand through Future Cavendish’s silver hair. Future Cavendish uncovered his face and scowled down at Dakota with rosy cheeks. “Breakin’ the rules?” Dakota added to make their position with Future Cavendish ontop of him on the ground less suggestive.

Present Cavendish dashed his way to the top of the stairs where Future Cavendish and Dakota were laying on the ground. He was panting hard, and confused at the sight of himself lying over Dakota. “What?!” Cavendish wheezed, as he looked around the room, he saw a large crumbling hole in the brick wall where a dragon had forcefully exited through, and behind Future Cavendish and Dakota was a large decorative gargoyle that had been knocked free from where it sat, presumably after the dragon burst through the wall.

This was what they got after Cavendish had pestered Mr. Block for a more exciting mission. Cleaning toilets in the medieval time period where a dragon had been let loose by some ancient young hooligans. And by the looks of it, it had originally cost Dakota’s life. After wrestling free from that irritated dragon, Dakota ended up right where that unhinged gargoyle fell. Cavendish felt a chill run up his spine. Halfway up the stairs, he heard Dakota assure him he was okay, but that must have been right before the gargoyle hit the ground. Or, in this timeline, right before his future self brashly knocked Dakota out of harm’s way. Cavendish wordlessly helped both of them up.

“Well, now what?! There’s two of me, and if the Bureau finds out what I’ve done I’ll be fired for sure and I won’t-" Future Cavendish stopped himself, shifting his gaze from his past self and Dakota to the floor.

Dakota knew how Cavendish wanted to finish his sentence.

“You won’t? Won’t what?” Dakota prodded, turning his nose up in Future Cavendish’s direction and wrestling him for eye contact. Future Cavendish returned Dakota’s stare with wide ocean eyes.

“I won’t see you again.” He said softly.

Dakota looked at both Cavendishes now who shared the same somber and frightened expression. In contrast, Dakota was nearly on cloud nine being reminded how much he really meant to Cavendish and couldn’t help but don an inappropriate grin on his face. Before he could pull both Cavendishes into a bone crushing hug, _his_ Cavendish was slipping a swiss army knife out of his pocket and saying, “I know how to handle this.”

Dakota immediately knocked the thing out of Cavendish’s hand. “WOAH WOAH WHADDAYA DOIN’!?” He shouted scandalously.

Cavendish shook his previously knife-wielding hand and scowled at Dakota. “Oh please calm down Dakota. It’s just _me!”_ Cavendish defensively said, gesturing to Future Cavendish.

“Very typical, _me.”_ Future Cavendish said with a roll of his eyes and his arms crossed. “No regard for your own life.”

“Oh, _shuttup!”_ Cavendish waved an arm at his duplicate. “You’d do the exact same thing you hypocrite!”

“You don’t know that.” Future Cavendish grumbled.

“I’M _YOU_ OF COURSE I KNOW IT!!” Cavendish squawked.

“CAVENDISHES!” Dakota butted in, getting inbetween both Cavendishes and planting his hands on their chests because they looked ready to rumble. “Listen, I got an alternative that guarantees us a fifty percent chance of nobody dying in this circumstance.” He said, smiling at the duplicates of his beloved partner.

“What are you on about?” Both Cavendishes asked.

Dakota’s smile dropped and he gave a fake cough before speaking. “Aheh, there may have been a couple times where you died and I did the same thing, but instead’a killin’ myself like some heartless maniac I sent myself off to a deserted island.”

“Actually, death sounds better.” Said Future Cavendish, looking his past self dead in the eye. Cavendish stood a little straighter, Dakota felt his chest puff up against his palm, and he got a fistfull of Cavendish’s vest and tie when he felt his partner shift to get his pocket knife back.

“No, _no.”_ Dakota said as if he were correcting a puppy. “It’s not.” His eyes glanced between two of the same disappointed face before going on. “Plus, if ya go, you won’t be alone. I’ll be with you! Get it?” Dakota grinned and looked between the Cavendishes’ unamused faces again. “‘Cuz, ‘cuz I’m literally there. I’ll be with you.” He let out a cute chuckle. Nobody else was smiling. “Also they’d be pretty stoked to see you. If it’s working out over there, it’s literally just a bunch of me. Living on an island together.”

“A _bunch_ of you?” Cavendish said with squinted eyes.

“How many times have I died?” Future Cavendish added to his question.

Dakota’s smile thinned out. “Ehh did I say a bunch? It’s not alot, really, like just some of me. On the island. A little bit.”

Neither Cavendish was satisfied with Dakota’s answer. “Well. One of us is going to find out I suppose.” Said Future Cavendish.

“I don’t know, a group of Dakotas mixed with a solitary life and one me doesn’t sound... peaceful. How long have they been on that island for?” Cavendish asked.

Dakota shrugged.

Both Cavendishes shared a concerned look.

“And I _can’t_ kill him?” Cavendish asked.

Dakota smilingly slung an arm over both Cavendishes’ shoulders and pulled them closer to his level. “Well, the other option is I keep the both’a ya and we get in trouble with the Bureau together.” He hugged them tighter to him. Both Cavendishes sighed. As long as Dakota’s around, - and that part was not debatable, Dakota needed to be around - death was not on the table in any way shape or form. Much to their disappointment.

“So, now we just decide which one of us is going to go to this island.” Said Cavendish. They both looked over at Dakota who’s eyes widened anxiously. He let go of the Cavendishes and backed away, eyes darting between them.

“Wha, you want _me_ to pick which one of you goes off to that island??” Dakota asked with his hands raised defensively.

Both Cavendishes glanced at eachother before looking back at Dakota and nodding. “Yes.” Said Cavendish.

“It _was_ your idea.” Future Cavendish added.

Dakota gulped and raised a shaking pointer finger before dropping it. Both Cavendishes scoffed and rolled their eyes.

“Fine, _I’ll_ go, let’s just get it over with.” They both said. When they were done speaking simultaneously, their pointed brows raised and they looked at eachother again. “Hey, don’t do that _now,”_ They both said. “Oh well that’s just dandy!” Their voices were getting increasingly frustrated. “ _I’m_ going!” They both said quickly, trying to beat eachother to the punch but staying in perfect synchronization. “ _AAAAAAAAUGHH!”_ Both Cavendishes cried in frustration.

Dakota swallowed down a fit of laughter. “Okay guys, I think I have another idea, why don’t ya roshambo for it?”

“... What?” Said Future Cavendish.

“Y’know,” Dakota rhythmically pounded his fist against his palm in the rock paper scissors motion, “ro sham bo?”

“What land of gibberish did _that_ originate? Where I’m from, we just call it rock paper scissors.” Future Cavendish said indignantly.

“What dunce calls it _‘ro sham bo?’”_ Cavendish said poisonously. “The proper name is rock paper scissors. Everyone knows that.”

“ _I’m_ that dunce,” Dakota prodded his chest with a thumb, “and I don’t like yer tone!” He said with a scowl. “Whatever, just play the game.”

Both Cavendishes judgmentally rolled their eyes before doing what Dakota suggested. They played scissors three times in a row before Dakota was almost thoroughly amused.

“Oh, I got it, one of you do what’cha _wouldn’t_ do while playin’ the game.” Dakota advised with a smile.on his face.

They both rolled rock and glared at eachother. Dakota was pleased with himself.

“He was talking to _me_ you ninny!” Cavendish said, thumping his future self on the side of the forehead. Future Cavendish slapped a hand where his past self had thumped him and he swiped upward at his past self’s glasses, causing them to go crooked.

“He was talking to both of us!” Said Future Cavendish.

“You guys can’t win the game cuz yer thinkin’ the same thing at the same time.” Dakota said with a wide mischievious smile. Both Cavendishes whipped around to face him.

“Why did you make us play it then!?” Cavendish exploded.

“Because ya trust me and yer cute.” Dakota said, slipping his hands into the pockets of his tracksuit pants.

 

Even after it was decided and Dakota had handed him the pamphlet, Future Cavendish had to wrestle himself away from Dakota in order to get to his means of transport to this mysterious Dakota Island.

So, here he was now. Once again in 2016, Wandering along an old wooden dock bustling with dirty middle aged seafarers, some packing and some unpacking crates and barrels of who knows what. And the worst part was it was unbearably foggy, Future Cavendish could only see four feet infront of himself, and he’d tripped on a floor plank or two. 

Suddenly a well groomed man who looked like he’d just teleported out of a country club appeared from out of the fog as if he’d been standing there awhile, waiting for Future Cavendish.

“Oh!” Future Cavendish said with a start. “Hello,”

“Good afternoon.” Said the country club man with the voice of an angel. He smiled and clasped his hands together. “May I help you?”

“Er, yes, I’m looking for-"

“How about we start with your slip?” He pleasantly asked, reaching a tan hand out to receive Future Cavendish’s pamphlet. His eyes grew rounder and friendlier as he read. “Mhm, you’ve booked a one way passage to an island shrouded in mystery. Your room’s next to the cargo hold and you may hear the sounds of caged wild exotic animals, but your room comes with a complimentary bottle of water and satellite TV.” He looked back up at Future Cavendish from the papers and gave him a serene smile.

“... I’m sorry, who are you?”

“Why, I’m the captain of this ship.” The man said, perking up his posture in his pink polo tshirt and shorts.

Future Cavendish’s handlebar mustache quirked up in a smile. “ _Really?_ I never would have guessed.”

“ _Excuse_ me?”

“Honestly, with everyone else around here, I was imagining the captain to be someone like a rugged man with an old turtleneck and a dirty captain’s hat, and maybe a five o’clock shadow beard as well.” Said Future Cavendish with a hand gripping his chin. “It’s nice to see someone of kindred spirit, I’m considered out of place where I work as well.” He tipped his hat and went up the ramp, leaving the captain staring at him in slack-jawed shock.

The captain’s parrot flew down from where it had been perched on the edge of the ship and landed on the captain’s shoulder. It let out a string of squawks and clicks to its owner.

“I know, Gary, he’s so brutally honest and handsome. It’s too bad he’s on his way to certain death.” Tutted the captain before making his way up the ramp as well, Gary affectionately nipping at his sandy blonde wind whipped hair.

Future Cavendish had noticed when the ship stopped, and the captain got him shortly after to let him know they reached the farthest point they could that was still safe, and he would have to finish his journey alone.

“Thank you.” Was all Future Cavendish said before putting all of his focus into rowing his lifeboat the rest of the way to the island. He was so focused on hitting the shore, that he hadn’t noticed the captain waving at him slowly with dreamy eyes.

“Off he goes into the unknown.” The captain said to himself. And his parrot who gave a loud squawk. “I did _not_ let him get away, Gary, that man has his own business and it’s not professional to get involved with customers’ lives.” Gary squawked some more. “Yes I know I forgot his water bottle, Gary.” More squawks. “No I’m not going to throw it, I might hit him and that would just be terrible.”

Future Cavendish was unsure what exactly he would find, but he definitely did not expect to see so many washed up boats coated in layers of dried dirt, moss and pollen. There were so many washed up boats, in fact, that Future Cavendish imagined maybe, people had been shipwrecking themselves here on purpose. Was this island a popular landmark for committing suicide? 

“Curse you Dakota, why couldn’t you have banished yourself to Madagascar? … Was Madagascar even still around in this era, oh, nevermind…” Future Cavendish muttered under his breath as he ventured deeper into the thick forest that inhabited the island, getting smacked in the face by a few low hanging branches on the way. “Atleast Madagascar wasn’t a Death Island that happens to be so foreboding that even the most adventurous of boatmen are too scared to be within a sixty foot radius of it--” Future Cavendish yelled as he felt himself walk through a spiderweb, he frantically patted and swiped at himself, praying that there wasn’t a spider - spindly or thick, tiny or too big to be allowed to exist, jumping or nonjumping, poisonous or nonpoisonous, _none were welcome_ \- crawling anywhere on his body. Once he calmed down, he continued on, more careful with where he was walking and keeping his eyes peeled for more offending spiderwebs. “I bet this island doesn’t have any lemurs because it’s the worst island to have sprouted from the crust of the earth…”

Future Cavendish continued complaining to himself until he heard twigs snap, and the rustling of something moving through a bush. He froze in place and looked behind himself. After not hearing much more noise, Future Cavendish loosened and turned a full circle to take in more of his surroundings.

“Perhaps this island only houses spiders and wild boars. _Because it would.”_ Future Cavendish muttered to himself, having registered a human figure standing among the vegetation while he was turning. He whipped back in the direction he thought he saw it, and there it was. Future Cavendish wasn’t alone, and whoever it was that was advancing on him, they were chubby and tan, and wore a ghastly wooden mask over their face. Future Cavendish took backward steps as the person drew closer. “Oh, surprised to see another human being here! Uhm, I’m looking for a-aAAAAA!!” As he continued backward, Future Cavendish lost his footing and would have tumbled down the viney ravine behind him, but the person infront of him grabbed a fistfull of his vest and tie.

“It’s _you,”_ The stranger said in a gutteral tone.

Future Cavendish’s feet were still struggling to find a proper place to stand where the stranger held him. “Yes please pull me to safety!”

As the masked stranger did what Future Cavendish requested, more masks were appearing and they were all swarming him and the stranger who still had a tight grip on his suit.

“Oh, lovely.” Future Cavendish grumbled as they drew closer. “What are we here for, boys?” 

Instead of getting an answer, everyone that had gathered around Future Cavendish started grabbing and shoving him in a direction he had no idea would lead to. When Future Cavendish stopped struggling against the swath of hands on him, he noticed they were being _pretend_ rough. When they were actually laying their hands on him, it was gentle and supportive, and the touch lingered up until the hand wasn’t close enough to feel him any longer. And then he noticed each figure appeared to have the same body type, same chubby stomach and the same disproportionately skinny legs.

“Wait a minute,” Future Cavendish said, unheard over the silly guttural noises they were all making. Finally, he caught a glimpse of torn sunset colored garments on a few of them, and then Future Cavendish was very mad. “WAIT A MINUTE!!” Future Cavendish shouted over their voices. “I KNEW YOU WOULD DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS YOU SCOUNDRELS!!” Something chomped down on his wrist. “OW!” Future Cavendish yanked his hand away from whoever just bit him, and he scowled harder at the mask wearing island dwellers around him.

“Stoppit I saw him first I get to touch him!” Shouted one of the masks in Dakota’s voice.

Another mask wearer shouted with Dakota’s voice. “You already got to touch him it’s my turn now!”

And then another. “But I called dibs!”

“That’s not how it works!” And another.

Honestly it really just sounded like Dakota arguing with himself. And that’s exactly what it was. And that made it a little hard for Future Cavendish to stay mad.

“I still didn’t get to touch him!” One of the Dakota voices whined.

“Wait your turn like the rest of us, Birthday Suit Dakota!”

The voice got whinier. “But it’s my _birthdaaayyy!”_

Future Cavendish got angier at the implication that for whatever reason one of the Dakotas had become a nudist. “STOP THIS AT ONCE! YOU _KNOW_ I DON’T LIKE TO BE MANHANDLED!!”

The gaggle of chubby men stopped tugging Future Cavendish along but didn’t take their hands off of him. The ones who weren’t clinging onto Future Cavendish for dear life tossed their masks over their heads to reveal the same tan face framed by coffee brown curls, the hooked nose, and an all too familiar pair of thick sunset colored aviators that sat on each one. They were all smiling at him.

Future Cavendish only looked more mad.

Finally, one of the Dakotas piped up and headed for the ones that weren’t ready to let go of Future Cavendish yet. “Alright guys, back off now, BACK Cannibal Dakota!!” After shoving away the Dakota that clung the hardest to Future Cavendish, the lead one focused back on the newcomer with soft eyes. “Cavendish, how did you get here?” While he smiled, he shook his head. “You’re not ‘sposed to know about this place.”

Future Cavendish sucked in a deep breath, his chest puffing out, and then he spoke. “I’m here for a reason similar to why you’re all here.”

The lead Dakota’s eyebrows raised in confusion, and all the others talked to eachother in hushed gravelly voices. “Y'mean you…?” As it started to dawn on the lead Dakota, his eyes grew wider.

“Yes, you died so I had to go back in time to stop that from happening, and then you sent me here!” Future Cavendish said, gesturing outrageously to the ground beneath his feet.

The murmurs of the other Dakotas got louder, though Future Cavendish couldn’t figure out what they were saying, but he _did_ know they sounded emotional and overwhelmed with joy just like the leader was. The lead Dakota smiled at Future Cavendish like he’d just presented him with as many puppies as his arms could carry.

“You _saved_ me!” Said the lead Dakota, holding his arms out in a way that made him look open for a hug.

“Oh, of course I did you bumbling buffoon, I…” Future Cavendish was visibly flustered. “Don’t be so surprised that I care about you as much as you care about me, you just… die less than I do I suppose.” Future Cavendish had his hands on his hips now, and he really took in every single Dakota who surrounded him. Apparently one craved human flesh, one was naked, and a few were a darker tan than the others, some were greying, some had facial hair, and a few let their hair grow down to their shoulders. “There’s no way in the high heavens that I die this often.”

“Hey, ya can’t argue with the facts man.” Said the lead Dakota as he drew nearer to Future Cavendish and hooked his arms through Future Cavendish’s, which were still bent so his palms could sit on his hips, and he hugged him. “Wow, I never thought I’d see you again, y’know? It’s been ages.”

Future Cavendish looked insulted at first, but he wrapped his arms around the lead Dakota with a gentler expression. “Well, here I am.” he said softly.

Every Dakota in the vicinity _‘AW’_ ed with reckless abandon, and they all stormed Future Cavendish and the lead Dakota for a group hug. Future Cavendish cried out in alarm and raised his arms so he would feel less crushed and helpless. As he relaxed in the middle of the mess of tattered Dakota duplicates who couldn’t stop squeezing and nuzzling him, he couldn’t stop wondering if it was truly possible for him to have died as many times as there were Dakotas living here.


End file.
